Quitters Can be Choosers!
I JUST got off the phone with a friend, a little stunned and upset; because she informed me, rather nonchalantly, that she had quit her job - a job she had struggled so hard to land in the first place. She just said, `I quit' on the phone and that was it (no, she didn't bang it down). I was annoyed not because she had quit but because of the way she had done so.
But truth be told, many of us dream of doing it just like that (oh! what joy, what peace, and contentment!) Most of us can only dream about doing it that way— have a neat, little nest egg, a poignant farewell party (with no eyes dry) amidst wishful thinking by others that you decide to stick around (who else can bear the boss's swinging moods and work till one drops dead?)
There are some good reasons to quit your job and some bad ones. It is important you know that you are quitting for all the right reasons for quitting is the last option one chooses to exercise. You most likely have a family to support or loans to pay off and furthermore the market never ever seems to have an opening for a person with your qualifications. However, when there are no more excuses left for you to continue in a job you dislike, you quit. And nothing can quite compare with the feeling of control, which comes when you utter the emphatic words: "I quit"! Though we have quite frequently made a mention of a few foolproof ways by which you do not have to burn your bridges behind you; this piece is not about that. It is about finding reasons to burn your boats. A few good reasons:
You are not getting paid!
The best reason in the world to cock a snook at your boss and `blithely go your own way'! If you have to undergo the humiliation of reminding your boss every month that you need to be paid, the job is not worth it. You could be generous and work free a couple of months because (a) you love the work you are doing; (b) you hope your boss will understand why you suddenly start talking about bread and butter by the end of the month; and (c) There is some lingering hope that things may yet change.
You are getting sicker
Every job comes with its quota of stress and tension. If yours does so with more stress than satisfaction, if you are losing more sleep than usual, then perhaps it is the time?
You are in the minority
And we don't mean that because you belong to an exotic community or an unknown tribe (of people who actually work). You will be in minority if your boss has the habit of marginalizing you. Your power would have gone as well as your responsibilities. You are most probably treated like an invisible man/ woman rarely heard and never seen. You are not part of the weekly meetings; nor does your name feature on the e-mail list. Take the hint and make the first move before you are disgraced any further.
You have outgrown the outfit
You may have joined your organisation as a novice but you realise that over the years you have outgrown it and in fact feel stifled and bored to death. There are no challenges left to meet, no excitement in the work you do. You somnambulate through your day. This being the state of affairs, if you manage to get another offer, which utilises your skills better, then grab it.
You have lost yourself
... in your career labyrinthine. While you were busy trying to make a success of your career, your family obviously took a backseat. If you can afford to, then take a hiatus from work. Become committed to a different kind of responsibility. An option like working from home can indeed be an answer to many of your present dilemmas.
There are reasons and reasons why one quits a job. You can pull along till the proverbial last straw hits you before succumbing to the inevitable. No doubt, it is tempting to settle a few scores before you leave but if you can, then leave on a nice note. Pat yourself on the back for having the gumption to walk away from a dead end job. Make the most of the experience as you move on for the only luxury you don't have is one of regret.
PADMA RAMESH
Padma.hyd@cnkonline.com
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